First Encounter with the Golden Generation

Deep in the forest, Yu Tiancheng quietly retreated.

"That was close..." Yu Tiancheng mused inwardly, quickly and silently moving away from the area where Shrek and Meng Yiran were confronting each other.

He had no intention of staying to witness the subsequent battle between Tang San and the Man Faced Demon Spider—that was a "highlight moment" belonging to the "protagonist," and had nothing to do with him.

He decided to continue exploring deeper into the forest.

Since the lifespan limit of his Second Soul Ring had been increased by a full 500 years, his goal naturally had to be raised accordingly, to find a more powerful and suitable Soul Beast.

As he ventured further, the surrounding trees grew taller and denser, and the light became increasingly dim. The scent of Soul Beasts in the air grew stronger.

Yu Tiancheng heightened his vigilance to the extreme.

He relied not only on sight and hearing but also on his newly acquired spatial perception ability, pushing it to its limit.

The soft humus underfoot might hide poisonous insects or traps set by beast-catching plants; behind seemingly calm tree shadows and vines, predators might be perfectly camouflaged; every unusual disturbance in the airflow could herald the approach of danger.

His mind was highly focused, like dancing on the tip of a knife.

Suddenly, far ahead in the distance, an extremely strong, domineering wave of Soul Power filled with destructive energy exploded like a massive stone dropped into a calm lake!

Accompanying it were the clear shouts of human Soul Masters and the roaring explosions of Soul Skills.

The intensity of the fluctuation far surpassed any Soul Beast Yu Tiancheng had sensed before, even making him feel a tremor of fear.

"At least a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, and definitely not an ordinary one!"

He judged instantly, while also keenly capturing the unique rhythm of human Soul Masters' Soul Power mixed within the fluctuation, "Someone is hunting it? Someone who can challenge a Soul Beast of this level..."

Curiosity and caution warred fiercely in his heart.

Ultimately, his curiosity about the combat methods of the strong, and his desire for intelligence about the depths of the forest, prompted his decision.

He activated the Stealth Cloak to its maximum effect, his entire being seeming to transform into a formless gray shadow. Using the cover of the thick tree trunks, he crept towards the source of the fluctuation with the utmost caution and at the slowest pace.

After creeping for nearly a kilometer and bypassing a swamp filled with poisonous miasma, he finally glimpsed through the layers of tree shadows a messy clearing in the forest, swept clean by the residual battle energy.

In the center of the clearing, a colossal creature was fighting a desperate battle.

It resembled a giant lion but was covered entirely in scales as black as ink, with a metallic sheen. A pair of tattered, bony wings grew from its back, and a spiral horn on its head pulsed with an unstable dark red light.

Every roar it let out shook the ancient trees around it, and its claw strikes and tail sweeps cracked the ground, sending debris flying. Its ferocity was immense.

But at this moment, its body was covered in crisscrossing wounds, dark red blood gushing out. Although its aura was still ferocious, it clearly exuded weakness and despair.

Five people were surrounding it.

Three young individuals, two males and one female, no older than seventeen or eighteen, displayed astonishing coordination and combat prowess.

They advanced and retreated with purpose, their Soul Skills seamlessly connected, continuously adding new wounds to the giant beast.

The cold-faced young man wielding two moon blades was particularly fierce in his attacks, always delivering a fatal blow just as the beast's old strength waned and before its new strength emerged.

What made Yu Tiancheng's pupils contract even further were the two individuals observing from the edge of the battlefield.

One wore magnificent golden armor, his face completely hidden by a golden helmet, revealing only a pair of narrow, sinister eyes. He idly toyed with a strange golden chrysanthemum in his hand, appearing relaxed, but a subtle, soul-shivering sharpness emanated from him, as if capable of cutting through space.

The other was completely shrouded in a loose black robe, his figure shifting unpredictably like a ghost. Though standing there, he gave the impression of being able to dissipate into the shadows at any moment, an aura of coldness and death emanating from him.

"Titled Douluo!" Yu Tiancheng's heart nearly skipped a beat, and a chill shot up his spine to the top of his head.

He had only felt this level of pressure from the top elders of his clan.

Looking again at the three young people fighting in perfect sync, their Martial Souls, combat styles, and distinctive attire... the answer was obvious.

"Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan... the Martial Soul Hall's Golden Generation."

Yu Tiancheng held his breath, even slowing his thoughts, "Then, those two... must be Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Ghost."

He had never expected to stumble upon the Martial Soul Hall's Golden Generation during a soul hunting operation, and with two Titled Douluo personally guarding them!

This lineup was practically overkill for hunting ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.

He immediately curled up inside a patch of exceptionally dense bushes, located downwind, and the patterns on his Stealth Cloak glowed faintly, concealing his aura, body temperature, and even Soul Power fluctuations to the point of near non-existence.

He even switched his breathing to internal circulation, forcibly suppressing his heartbeat to the slowest rhythm, his entire being becoming like a lifeless stone.

In the arena, the battle had reached its end.

"Roar--!" The black giant beast let out a final roar of defiance. Xie Yue seized the opening as it reared its head back to roar, his figure darting forward like lightning. The two moon blades in his hands crossed, carving a chilling arc of light.

Squelch!

Its massive head flew through the air, and its heavy body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A deep black Soul Ring slowly emerged from the corpse, radiating a heart-stopping energy fluctuation.

"We succeeded!" Yan excitedly clenched his fist, a few scratches on his body but his expression ecstatic.

Xie Yue also showed a relieved smile, saying nothing further. He immediately sat cross-legged before the Soul Ring, adjusting his breathing, preparing to absorb this hard-won fifth Soul Ring of ten thousand years.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Ghost did not relax. Their gazes swept slowly across the surrounding dense forest like the most precise radar. Their powerful mental energy spread like liquid mercury, silently covering a radius of several hundred meters, leaving no rustle of leaves unnoticed.

Yu Tiancheng's heart was in his throat.

He could feel two cold, powerful, and oppressive mental energies sweeping over his hiding spot repeatedly like tangible searchlights.

The effect of the Stealth Cloak was operating at full capacity, perfectly "painting" him into the surrounding environmental background. His aura, Soul Power, and life fluctuations were all simulated to be indistinguishable from the adjacent bushes.

Time crawled by in extreme tension.

Xie Yue's absorption process seemed to be going smoothly, the energy of the black Soul Ring steadily integrating into his body.

Just as Yu Tiancheng estimated that Xie Yue was more than halfway through his absorption and was considering whether to quietly retreat while the other party's attention was most focused—

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's eerie eyes suddenly turned precisely toward his hiding spot!

A clear hint of confusion flashed in his gaze, his brow furrowing slightly.